MotoGP closes Jerez pit lane loophole after Márquez switch
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 25, 2026
MotoGP rule change
MotoGP has closed the pit-lane loophole that Marc Márquez exposed in the rain-hit Jerez Sprint, and the sport has now put the fix into the rulebook. The FIM Grand Prix Commission adopted the revised Pit Lane Procedures, turning guidance that Race Direction had issued before the French Grand Prix at Le Mans into formal regulation. The new language is clear. Riders in all track sessions, including races, must enter and exit pit lane only through the designated route and the entry and exit point marked by the broken white line. They must use the pit-lane entry road and cross the official pit-lane entry timing point when they go in. Stewards now have authority to penalize riders who do not follow that route. Race Direction can also define circuit-specific prohibited routes, and those restrictions still apply. MotoGP says the change is meant to remove ambiguity, clarify steward authority and cut the kind of controversy that followed Jerez.
Marquez Jerez loophole
The rule change follows one of the most unusual wins of the season. In the Jerez Sprint, Márquez crashed at the final corner, cut across the grass into pit lane, switched to his wet bike and still won the race. He escaped a penalty under the rules in force at the time. That left the sport with a clear problem. The incident exposed an ambiguity in the regulations and prompted criticism and calls for clearer guidance. Race Direction moved first, issuing revised guidance before Le Mans. The FIM Grand Prix Commission has now made that guidance official by adding it to the MotoGP rulebook. Under the revised interpretation, riders who crash beyond the pit entry will generally have to complete another full lap before they can use the entry point legally. That closes the route Márquez used at Jerez. The only exception applies when a rider’s machine is too damaged to continue. In that case, the rider does not have to follow the extra-lap requirement. The new wording leaves less room for split-second interpretation and gives officials a single standard to apply when riders try to reach pit lane after a crash.
Pit lane procedures
The formalized Pit Lane Procedures were approved by the Grand Prix Commission chaired by Carmelo Ezpeleta, with Paul Duparc, Mike Webb and Biense Bierma included. FIM President Jorge Viegas and technical directors were present when the changes were approved. The updated procedures moved from pre-event guidance into the official regulations and were published in the regularly updated FIM Grand Prix Regulations on the FIM website. That gives the new language the force of the rulebook instead of temporary event guidance. The change also sets out the same pit-lane standard for every session, not just races. Riders must use the designated route in and out, and stewards can act if they do not. Race Direction still has the power to define circuit-specific routes that are off limits, which keeps local track conditions in play. The rule has already picked up two labels in the paddock and around the sport, the “Marquez rule” and the “anti-Marquez rule.” Both names point to the same outcome. MotoGP has written down a clear pit-lane procedure after Jerez, and the sport now has a formal answer to a problem that one race exposed.
